International brain initiatives: progress, challenges and opportunities

Research and development are facilitated by International Brain Initiatives backed by governments and private investors. A common concern expressed by speakers at The Brain Forum 2015, is that brain research is at times limited by a lack of dedicated technology and a tendency towards isolated research teams whose funding often depends on the exclusivity of their discoveries. Several speakers and participants highlight the critical importance of standardisation and open sharing of data, and promoting a culture that values, recognises and rewards team-based efforts and contributions for advancing large-scale and ambitious projects. Proactive collaboration and data sharing in fields such physics and astronomy are highlighted as important examples for the brain research community to emulate and overcome current challenges and make new discoveries. A consensus emerged that there is a need for continued engagement and cooperation among the International Brain Initiatives and that The Brain Forum presents a valuable platform for facilitating future collaborations.

About Panellists:
Rafi Gidron, Founder and Chairman, Israel Brain Technologies, Israel
Nancy Ip, Dean of Science, Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, China
Christof Koch, Chief Scientific Officer, Allen Institute for Brain Science, USA
John Donoghue, Member, NIH BRAIN Working Group and Director, Brown Institute for Brain Science, Brown University, USA
Henry Markram, Co-leader, Human Brain Project and Professor, Swiss Federal Institute for Technology in Lausanne (EPFL), Switzerland

About Chair:
Hilal Lashuel, Executive Director, Qatar Biomedical Research Institute, Qatar and Associate Professor, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne, Switzerland